The present invention relates to a product-delivery device for an automatic vending machine that sells boxed products, such as cigarettes.
First, a conventional structure of a product-delivery device mounted on the above-mentioned automatic vending machine delivering boxed products is shown in FIG. 13. In this figure, numeral 1 is a cabinet for the automatic vending machine; 2 indicates a product take-out opening in the front thereof; 3 indicates a product-accommodating box installed in the storage compartment of the cabinet 1; and, 4 indicates a pusher-type vending mechanism assembled at the underside of the product-accommodating box 3. Boxed products 5, such as cigarettes, are stacked and accommodated on a stage of the vending mechanism 4 arranged in the forward and backward positions. The pusher-type vending mechanism 4 is formed of a base stand 4a, a pusher 4b protruding on the stage on the base stand 4a, a Napier screw 4c to threadably push the pusher 4a in and out, a driving motor 4d, and a pusher position-detecting switch 4e.
A product-delivery device using this type of pusher-type vending mechanism 4 is known already. With this mechanism, the products 5 piled in the forward and backward positions are delivered alternately to the forward and backward directions from the product-accommodating box 3 by operating the pusher 4b to move forward and backward alternately in response to each sales command, so that the product 5 is delivered through the product exit 2 via a chute 6. In addition, the product-accommodating box 3 has a sold-out detection switch 7, from which an actuator 7a protrudes into the product-accommodating box to detect the availability of the products, and stops sales when a sold-out signal is issued.
The conventional product-delivery device that uses a pusher-type vending mechanism has the following problems:
(1) If the products 5 are accommodated in forward and backward rows in the product-accommodating box 3 as shown in FIG. 13, since the products 5 are delivered from the forward and backward directions by the reciprocal motion of the pusher 4b, it is necessary to arrange the product-accommodating box 3 and the pusher-type vending mechanism 4 in the center of the automatic vending machine, and to assure at both sides thereof product delivery paths 8 via the chutes 6. In other words, if the depth of the product-accommodating box 3 is taken as A and the width of the product delivery path is taken as B, then the cabinet 1 of the automatic vending machine should have a depth of C made up of at least A+2B.
This requires an increased cabinet depth, which is a large obstacle to reduce the depth of the automatic vending machine. Especially, extension or protrusion of the automatic vending machine into the road has recently become a social problem.
(2) Even if the products 5 are stacked and accommodated in a single row in the product-accommodating box 3, it is necessary to provide an extra space, i.e. escape space, behind the vending mechanism 4 for the pusher 4b to move behind the product-accommodating box 3, thus restricting the reduction of the thickness of the automatic vending machine.
(3) It is impossible to accommodate and deliver the products 5 from the product-accommodating box more than three rows because of the operating principle of the pusher-type vending mechanism.
(4) Because the pusher 4b protrudes over the stage of the vending mechanism 4, if the number of products stacked and accommodated in the product-accommodating box 3 decreases, the products 5 stacked on the pusher become inclined as a result of backward movement of the pusher, and slide out from the product delivery opening in the product-accommodating box, resulting in erroneous product delivery. Therefore, in the conventional vending machines, the actuator 7a in the sold-out detection switch 7 detects the availability of the products stacked on the third level from the bottom as shown in the figure, and a product sold-out signal is outputted when there are still four product items, i.e. two each on the forward and backward rows, which are enough to prevent the stacked product from being inclined due to the backward movement of the pusher, if four product items remain. However, this operation is less advantageous though the number of the products remaining in the box that could have been sold is reduced.
(5) The pusher-type vending mechanism 4 has a complex pusher driving mechanism, and it is so large that it occupies a large space in the storage compartment, thereby reducing product-accommodating efficiency.
In Japanese Utility Model Publication (KOKAI) No. 2-63184 and Japanese Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. 3-149692, products are placed on a plate with a slit, and an endless belt with a pusher is located under the plate. The pusher extending through the slit pushes the product. The prior art can not effectively utilize the space in the machine.
The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and it is an object of the invention to provide a new product-delivery device for an automatic vending machine delivering boxed products, wherein the cabinet of the automatic vending machine is made thinner, and the product-accommodating efficiency is improved.